A man who was riding a stolen motorcycle last year when he hit and fatally injured a pedestrian in South Salt Lake, and then fled the scene, has been sentenced to jail time.
Lutolofi Maama, 20, of West Valley City, admitted in 3rd District Court documents that on Aug. 29, 2017, he was involved in a collision that fatally injured 49-year-old Mark E. Swindle, who died a week later at a hospital.
Maama pleaded guilty in February to felony counts of theft by receiving, failure to remain at the scene of an accident involving serious bodily injury and failure to stop at the command of police. In exchange, four other counts were dismissed.
On Monday, Judge Mark Kouris sentenced Maama to 365 days in jail as part of a 48-month probation. Maama also must complete 50 hours of community service and complete a drug rehabilitation program.
The motorcycle-pedestrian collision occurred just before midnight on Aug. 29, 2017, as Swindle was crossing 3300 South at 900 West.
Witnesses at a nearby convenience store told police the motorcycle swerved out of control after hitting the victim and slid through the intersection, resulting in crash damage to the motorcycle and injuries to the driver, police have said.
The motorcycle rider then got up and left on the motorcycle.
Police, however, found a part in the road bearing the make and model number of the motorcycle. They released a photo of a similar motorcycle to news agencies, which generated a tip that it might be parked near 400 East and 2500 South.
On Aug. 31, 2017, officers found the motorcycle, which had been stolen in Kearns just hours before the crash.
The next night, while knocking on doors in the area, police saw a man on a bicycle who matched the description of the motorcycle rider, and who also had a Band-Aid on his hand.
When officers tried to stop the man, he fled on foot, resulting in a 90-minute pursuit through backyards and over fences.
Maama was finally arrested with the help of five canine units and officers from three agencies, police have said.
Maama stole the motorcycle by posing as a prospective buyer. He persuaded the seller to let him take the motorcycle for a test drive by leaving behind a car, its keys and personal identification as security — all of which turned out to be stolen, police have said.
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